"This is Swindler's Swamp." The examiner explained. "It is called this for a good reason. The creatures that live here will try to trick you into becoming their next meal so follow me closely. If you don't you will not make it." The examiner who called himself Satotz told them calmly.
"Heh idiots, how can they fool us if we know it's coming?" Leorio snorted skeptically. But he didn't get the chance to speak further when from around the tunnel's entrance outcropping a battered looking man appeared and shouted.
"Don't be fooled! He's been lying to you! He's a imposter! He's not the examiner, I am! This of course lead to a outbreak of whispers and doubts throughout the group.
"What? An imposter?! What's going on?" Leorio exclaimed in confusion.
"Look!" The man who claimed to be the real examiner and hauled out a thin-monkey looking creature with a striking resemblance to the supposed imposter.
"It looks like satotz-san!" Gon exclaimed.
"It's a man-faced ape! They love the taste of human flesh but their weak so they were planning lead you away and eat every one of you!" He supposed examiner told them. Several people simply looked unsure while many others looked to be believing him, including Leorio.
"Leorio, that man isn't a human." Kurpaika whispered to Leorio softly.
"Yeah, defiantly! He sure didn't run like a human!"
"No Leorio, I meant the-" But Kurapika didn't get the chance to correct his friends misunderstanding. For several cards flew at a deadly speed towards the new arrived man and the one who had been leading them. But it was only the tall man with a curly mustache for a mouth who stopped the cards from reaching their target. The stranger had three cards buried in him, killing him instantly.
"I see. That settles it then." A voice declared sweetly and they all turned to look at the still very creepy man that was named Hisoka who was currently playing with a stack of cards, not even trying to hide the fact that the attack had been from him. "The examiners are hunters, so the person who holds the title that we seek could easily mange such an attack."
"I will take that as a compliment. But if you attack again I will have to report you and you will be disqualified." The examiner Satotz warned in a low voice.
"Hai, hai."
"Good. This is the kind of thing you will have to be prepared for or you will die. Keep close and be careful. Now please follow me." And without another word the examiner turned and began the trek into Swindler's Swamp and the remaining 368 applicants followed him without pause.
-x-
"Hah! Another marathon huh?"Leorio commented irritably as they all continued to run across the swampy land.
"Yes, but running in marshlands is much harder then normal." Kurapika told him knowledgeably. But his words were said with little attention for he he found himself almost unconsciously giving most of him attention to where Gon and Killua were. Gon could be very gullible at times and though he usually had luck on his side Kurapika couldn't help but worry about him.
"If you're that worried go on ahead already!" Leorio shouted at him suddenly.
"Wha-! I never said-"
"it's written all over your face! When it comes to Gon you get really easy to read. I'll be fine you idiot!" Kurapika ducked away in embarrassment at this. Was he really so easy to figure out when it came to his little brother? He didn't want to leave Leorio on his own… the easily irritated, strange, rude but kind teen who didn't looking like a teen had really grown on him. He want to see him pass. But he did want to at least check on Gon, for peace-of-mind if nothing else…
"Fine! But I'll come back so don't you dare fall too far behind!" He shouted in response.
"As if I would!" The other retorted back but it was lacking in bite and was even said with a smile as the blonde ran further ahead to catch up with the two younger kids.
It didn't take much time to catch up with Gon and Killua who he came upon sitting in a puddle of liquid that smelled less then fragment to Kurapika's sensitive nose.
"Kura-nii! You caught up!" Gon shouted happily giving the Kurta a smelly hug. " We got swallowed by a giant frog!" Kurapika laughed at that, returning the hug even if the smell burned his nose. Killua seemed to be assessing Kurapika from a small distance, trying his best to figure out the person that Gon call his brother. As far as he could tell the other boy was blind with the scars he had over his eyes and how he never opened them though the blonde didn't seem to be hinder by his disability in the slightest. But he hadn't tried to discourage his and Gon's friendship yet so he didn't really see a point to puzzling over it too much. In the end, Killua only shrugged and moved closed to the two.
"We should be going. Kurapika are you coming with us now?" He asked the Kurta casually.
"No, Killua I think I will be returning to Leorio I just wanted to be sure Gon was doing okay, he can be a bit gullible at time."
"I am not Kura-nii!" The smaller boy argued with a pout. Kurapika just laugh lightly and patted his head.
"You kind've are Gon, but I know your strong so I will try not to be too much of a mother hen." He told him kindly. "I'm glad your doing just fine so I will go back to that idiot now, he can be a bit too-" But he was cut off by a scream not far off. It wasn't Leorio's voice but Kurapika could feel Leorio's distress and anger coming from the same direction. He turned to the green dressed boy with a torn look.
"Gon…"
"i know Kura-nii and I'm coming with you! He's my friend too!"
"Fine!" Kurapika gave in with a huff.
"Go on ahead Killua! We'll meet up with you at the end!" Gon shouted back as he and Kurapika headed in the direction of the scream as fast as they could leaving Kuilla to just watch them go with a exasperated sigh.
-x-
When they reached the location of the scream Gon suddenly froze in shock leaving Kurapika almost crashing into him. Kurapika reeled slightly at the sudden, overpowering smell of blood and death, there was several people dead and he could easily feel Leorio's rage and the perverse pleasure radiating off the man he knew to be named Hisoka too. It was the silence that unnerved him leaving him unable to fully grasp what had occurred. The tell-a-tale swish of his brother's fishing pole flying through the air and deafening crack as it hit Hisoka ended the long silence though. Hisoka must have tried to hurt Leorio he reasoned silently to himself and shivered as he felt the gaze of the clownishly dressed man turn to him and Gon.
"Gon! Move!" Kurapika shouted fearfully grabbing Gon by the collar of his jacket and leaped away.
"Oh, perceptive…" A voice praised from behind them. Both Gon and Kurapika swung their weapons at the location of the voice in the same moment only to hear a poof like they had hit a cloud and not a person. The two brothers put their backs together preparing for the next assault. But it was Leorio who in the end took the preemptive, clearly not one to take a hint and run when he had the chance. He ran forward with a roar only to be struck down by his enemy in one punch and crumple to the ground in a heap.
"Leorio! Gon cried out, worried for their friend.
"Gon! Don't get reckless!" But his words came too late, the younger boy had already left his brother's side to attempt an attack at Hisoka for Leorio's sake, letting his fishing line fly out again. Hisoka had clearly expected something of the like and turned to face the charging Gon once more. But Gon was not as careless as he seemed, the line suddenly dropped, raising a large cloud of dust to hide him and swung his rod down at the other man. But for all his cunning he was clearly not a match for the clownishly-dressed man who had caught him mid-attack by the throat.
"Good boy, such a good boy…" The man hissed in a poisonously sweet tone, slowly tightening his grip on Gon's throat.
"LET. HIM. GO." The words were chillingly cold, and Hisoka turned his face to the speaker still keeping his hold on Gon's throat. Kurapika's eye's were open to show a stunning red hue though the lack sight in them wasn't hard to tell and was emitting a blazing amount of nen around himself, practically seething rage.
"Kura-nii…" Gon choked out, now worrying about his brother. He couldn't see nen but he could still feel the wild ferocity coming from Kurapika. The blonde Kurta covered the distance between Hisoka and himself in a flash, grabbing the clown's wrist in a crushing grip.
"LET. HIM. GO." He repeated once more, his tone still the same, just as frightfully enraged.
"Ohh…" Hisoka breathed, sickeningly excited at the sight of the furious Kurta. And then he suddenly released Gon, who fell coughing and hacked on the ground trying to get some air through his abused throat. As soon as Gon was released his blaze of nen vanished, closed his red eyes, and released his vice grip on Hisoka in favor of moving to his little brother.
"Gon! Are you okay?!" He questioned worriedly, kneeling down beside him.
"Congratulations. You both pass." At that the two boy's were both surprised and confused by Hisoka's words. "Don't worry you're friend passed too. I recommend you both go now. I trust you both had find your way on your own?" The man asked with a grin, lifting a unconscious Leorio over his shoulder and then walked off into the fog without another word.
"Kura-nii… I'm okay now, don't worry." Gon soothed his brother with a gentle hug when he realized that Kurapika was shaking, whether still from anger or distress he couldn't be sure.
"Thank you Gon, I know." But Gon still frowned, not entirely believing his brother, his answer had been both shaky and in a very soft in tone. "We should go…"
"Yeah." Gon agree quietly as they both stood and began to head to the direction that Hisoka had gone with their friend.
A/N- Two chapters in roughly two days! I'm on a roll! XD But onto more important things! I am of the idea that Hisoka uses nen for his cards to make them as sharp as blades and due to this I think he would easily recognize what Kurapika is doing with his nen in this chapter. And that's about it! Please follow or favorite! And review! Let me know what you think! If you have questions please PM me! Thanks and read on! :)